Help
by malic124
Summary: A relative of Stef and Lena stops by their house, revealing some troubling news about trauma he has faced, and needs the help of the Foster family in dealing with his past.
1. Revelation

Jude walked to the door and opened in. Standing in the doorframe was a boy a few years older than him, with dirty blonde hair, ice blue eyes and rectangle-framed glasses. He looked to be around Brandon and Callie's age.

"Hi…." Jude said, hesitating. "Uh, can I help you?"

The boy took a deep breath. "Are Stef and Lena home?"

Jude nodded. He turned his head to the living room, where everyone else was watching TV. "Hey, moms, there's someone here to see you!"

"Who is it, love?" called Stef.

"I'm not sure."

"Well, ask them who they are," came Lena's voice.

"It's John," the boy said.

There was silence, followed by two pairs of footsteps coming to the door. Stef and Lena walked up to the front door and stared at the boy, a hint of recognition visible on both of their faces.

John smiled hesitantly. "Aunt Stef, aunt Lena," he said in acknowledgment.

"John, what are you doing here?" Stef asked in a tone barely louder than a whisper.

John looked like he was about to burst into tears and his tone suggested it. "I-I need your help."

He leaned forward into Stef's embrace, sobbing into her shoulders.

"Sssshhhh, it's OK, John, come inside," Stef said, holding him in her arms and helping him into the house. Once the door closed, John broke apart from her and turned to Lena, hugging her, too. They led him to the living room, Jude following close behind. Once inside, the other Foster children looked up and seemed to instantly recognize John.

"John, what are you doing here?" asked Mariana.

"I need some help with something," John replied quietly.

"Jude, Callie, this is John, our nephew," said Stef. "His parents, my older brother and his wife, were killed in a car accident last year, and he was emancipated afterward, and he's been attending community college and working."

"John, are you OK?" asked Mariana. "Is everything all right?"

John looked back at his cousin with tears in his eyes. "No," he said, shaking his head. "Something bad has happened, and I need some help dealing with it."

He took a seat in one of the sofas, while Jude, Stef and Lena returned to their spots.

"Well, whatever it is, John, we will help you as much as we can, we did promise that when your parents died," Stef said consolingly.

John took a deep breath. He hesitated, looking at Stef and Lena for reassurance.

"Take your time, John," said Lena.

John sighed again. "I was sexually assaulted six months ago," he said flatly. A collective gasp of breath rang through the room. "I was on my way back home when I was grabbed from behind and taken into an alleyway. He…. he tried to rape me. I managed to fight back long enough for a bystander to be alerted, and he managed to subdue the guy and get the police called. The man was arrested for what he tried to do to me, and he's going on trial soon."

Here, John took another deep breath. With every word, his voice seemed to become a little stronger. "I was OK at first and then… I've started reliving it," he said. "I just feel really jumpy and I can't sleep. And I feel very out of control. And the thing is that I wasn't even raped."

"John, you were sexually assaulted," Lena interjected in a soft voice.

"He came… so close, and there was nothing that I could do to stop him. He had a gun, and he completely overpowered me. I never should have been walking down that street so late at night by myself."

"Rape victims often blame themselves," said Stef.

"I know, I know," John said, coming close to tears again. "That's what my counselor has been telling me. And she's told me how misplaced that blame is and I know that. But now, I… I feel… I feel like I don't deserve to be here, telling you all this. But I feel like… I feel like he has… He stole something from me. And…and I need help dealing with it," John finished, bursting into tears again. He buried his face in his palms, his body shaking.

Stef and Lena jumped up from their spots, rushing over to John. They put their arms around him, hugging him.

"It's OK, John," Lena whispered as he sobbed onto her shoulder. "You do deserve to be here. You did the right thing, coming to us for help."

"You can stay here as long as you want, OK?" said Stef, kissing John on the forehead. "You stay here with us, and we'll keep you safe, as long as you need us."

John nodded, breaking apart from his aunts and wiping the tears from his face. "I'm sorry that I barged in like this and I didn't tell you about it before."

"No-" started Lena.

"You don't worry about not telling us earlier," Stef said. "The point is, you have told us and you've made it past one of the hardest parts of your recovery — telling your story to your family."

Callie walked over to them, wiping a tear from her face. "John, I'm Callie, one of Stef and Lena's children," she said quickly. "I want you to hear something. I've been where you are, in another foster home. You survived the trauma; you're gonna survive the recovery."

As Callie hugged John, Jude reappeared in the living room, holding something in his hand. Nobody had noticed him leave. He walked up to John, gave him a pat on the back and held out what was in his hand. It was a necklace with a charm on it.

"What's this?" asked John, tears still streaming down his face.

"It's a good luck charm," Jude replied, smiling. "It says 'Ad Astra per aspera,' which in Latin means 'Through the stars through difficulties.' It's the state motto in Kansas, which is where some of Callie and I's family used to live. I want you to have it," he finished, placing the necklace in John's hands.

John smiled and pulled Jude into a hug. "Thank you," he said, more tears flowing down his cheeks.


	2. Flashback

"No…no. Please… DON'T!"

John's voice echoed softly through the house at first, waking Jude. When he heard John get louder, Jude crept out of bed to avoid waking Jesus and sprinted to the living room. Asleep on the couch, John was thrashing around violently, sweating.

"No! Please!" John shouted.

"John! John!" Jude called in a slightly louder tone, trying to avoid waking up everyone else, and shaking John's body. "John, wake up!"

John gasped as he awakened. He took a few breaths, trying to calm himself down. Jude handed him his glasses, which he put on hastily.

"Jude, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," John said breathlessly.

"It's OK, John," said Jude, putting a hand on John's shoulder. "You were just having a nightmare."

John sighed. "It was a pretty bad one."

"Do you wanna talk about it? Maybe talking can help."

Another sigh. "I was having flashbacks to the night I was attacked. It's like I was reliving the whole thing again, like I'm going to in court."

"That's understandable, you went through something really bad," said Jude.

"I know, and it's stupid that I keep dreaming about it. I mean, I know that he's locked away and can't hurt me or anybody else. I just, you know, I'm worried about what's gonna happen in the trial."

Jude nodded, and grabbed John's hand. "Callie went through the same thing when she confronted her attacker, our old foster brother. We may not have gotten the outcome we wanted with her case, but at least she was able to tell the court what he did to her. That's what matters.

John nodded. "You're a good boy, Jude. Thank you for coming to me."

"You're family, John. I know we just met, but I don't want anybody in my family getting hurt. I do love you as a cousin, you know."

John grinned, taking Jude's hand in his own. "I love you, too, cousin. Thank you for everything."

Jude nodded, smiled and pulled John into a hug. "No matter what happens," he said, "we're always going to be your family, and we will always be here to protect you. Always."


	3. Confrontation

John tore his gaze away from the movie he was watching with Jude and Connor. He saw that Jude and Connor were sitting particularly close to each other, holding hands. Jude looked up and noticed him grinning at them.

"What?" Jude asked, grinning back.

"You two are cute," John replied in a quiet voice. "I love seeing how happy you are."

Jude and Connor smiled, glancing at each other.

"You dating anyone, John?" Connor asked.

John chuckled. "Oh, no. That's never gonna happen, at least not anytime soon."

"Why do you say that?" asked Jude.

"I wouldn't want someone dating someone like me. There's quite a bit of craziness in my life."

"There's craziness in all of us," Connor said. "If you find someone, you should let them know."

John grinned. "I'll keep that in mind."

A phone rang. John reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The phone showed an unknown number calling.

"Who is it?" Jude asked.

"Uh…not sure," John said. "It's an unknown number. Can you turn the TV down?"

Jude pointed the remote at the TV, lowering the volume, as John swiped his phone's screen to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Johnnie boy!" came a dark voice over the phone.

The color drained from John's face. "No!" he shouted. The voice on the other end laughed manically.

"John, what is it?" Jude asked, jumping up from Connor's side. Connor stood up with him, a concerned look on his face.

John held his phone away from his face. "It's Randy Loomis, my attacker. He must've escaped. Call Stef and Mike, tell them to get here now."

Jude nodded, pulling Connor with him as John returned his phone to his ear.

"What do you want, Loomis?" John asked with a livid expression on his face.

"You know what I want, Johnnie boy. I want you."

"Oh yeah? Well, you remember what happened the last time you wanted me? Things didn't go so well for you, did they?"

Loomis laughed. "No, I can't say that they did. But this time, things will be different. I'd protect your boyfriends in the house if I were you."

The phone call ended. "Wait, Loomis!" John shouted to no avail. "Loomis!" Knowing his efforts were futile, he threw his phone down, and ran to Jude and Connor.

"Jude, Connor!" he yelled, running into the kitchen.

"I just called Stef, she's just a couple of minutes away with Mike. What's going on, John?" Jude asked, looking frightened.

"Loomis wants to get revenge on me. I don't know exactly what happened, but it seems like he broke out of jail. He wants to come after me."

"Stef will take care of it, right?" Connor asked, the fear evident in his voice.

John placed a hand on Connor's shoulder. "Everything's gonna be fine."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," came a voice from the hallway just outside the kitchen. John leapt up, pushing Jude and Connor behind him. A man walked into the kitchen, brandishing a hunter's knife, a maniac expression on his face.

"Loomis," John said in acknowledgment. "Isn't this a nice little reunion?"

Loomis cackled. "Yes, it is," he said in a dark voice. "Who are your friends?"

"None of your damn business," said John, his rage seeming to emulate off of his body. "What are you doing here, Loomis?"

"I'm here to finish what I started."

"Oh yeah? Well, you're gonna have a tough time killing me, Loomis. You see, I've become much stronger since we last met."

Loomis smiled his widest yet. "Good. Twice the pride, double the fall when I kill you."

John moved toward Loomis. "I'm not gonna let you hurt them, Loomis. If you want to kill them, you'll have to kill me first."

"Only one will die tonight," Loomis said quietly.

John nodded, seemingly resigned to his fate. Loomis lunged toward him, brandishing his knife. Quick as a flash, John grabbed Loomis' arm, twisting it slightly. Loomis yelped out in pain, while John glared at him, a fire burning in his eyes. After a few moments, John pushed Loomis away.

"You son of a bitch!" Loomis shrieked, using his leg to trip John, who fell to the ground with a grunt.

"Stay back, you two!" John shouted at Jude and Connor as Loomis stood over him, raising his knife. Loomis cackled again. John snarled at him. "Go ahead if you've got the guts."

Loomis grinned, bringing his knife down and stabbing John in the shoulder. John screamed out in pain as Loomis pulled the knife out of him and raised it to deliver a killing blow.

"No!" John screamed, managing to kick Loomis away from him. Loomis stumbled backward, dropping his knife.

At that moment, the front door burst open and Stef appeared in the doorway, her gun drawn. She took one look at John on the ground, and Loomis standing near him before firing a single shot at Loomis' shoulder. Loomis staggered backward and fell over, grabbing his shoulder. Mike appeared in the kitchen, having used the backdoor to get into the house. He picked up Loomis and cuffed him, while Stef ran over to John.

Jude and Connor were knelt down next to John. Jude was crying almost uncontrollably, holding one of John's hands. Connor had his arms around Jude, trying to protect him from the pain. John used his left hand to cover his shoulder wound, attempting to stop the bleeding.

"How bad is it?" Stef asked breathlessly.

"It's OK, Stef, he just got me in the shoulder," John said in between breaths. "I'm gonna be OK. Jude, Connor, are you guys all right?"

Jude seemed unable to answer him — he was shaking violently from the crying, despite Connor's arms on him.

"Jude, it's OK, I'm not hurt that bad," John said soothingly.

Jude nodded. "I'm OK," he said.

"I'm fine, too," Connor said, looking relieved that Jude had finally spoken.

"Thank god," John said. "I didn't want the two of you to get hurt, too."

Stef, seeing that John seemed fine, pulled out her walkie-talkie.

"Dispatch, I need paramedics at my home immediately. This is officer Stefanie Adams-Foster."

"Roger that, Adams-Foster," came a voice on the radio. "We will send a crew to your home as soon as humanly possibly."

"Copy," Stef said, tossing her walkie-talkie aside. "John, are you sure you're OK?"

John grinned. "Stef, I'm fine. I just had to make sure that Loomis didn't try to hurt anyone else. I'll be fine."

Jude grabbed onto John's hand again, holding it tightly.

"Thank you for protecting us," he said quietly.

"Yeah, thank you so much," added Connor.

"You guys don't have to thank me — just wait for me when we get to the hospital, OK?"

Jude and Connor nodded, both holding tightly onto John's hand.


	4. Arraignment

Jude sat in the waiting room with Connor, his hands buried in his face. Connor had his arms around Jude, an attempt to comfort his one true love.

Meanwhile, John was in an operating room having his shoulder worked on. The paramedics who brought them all to the hospital told them John should be fine, leaving Stef to contact the rest of the family and get them to the hospital. She left the boys in the waiting room, promising to hurry back.

Eventually, Jude looked up at Connor, who tried to look back at him reassuringly.

"What's taking so long?" he asked in a whisper.

"They gotta make sure he's completely asleep before they do the surgery," Connor said. "At least that's how it was with my foot."

"What if it's worse than we thought it was?"

"They would've told us already," said Connor. "Listen, Jude, you don't have to worry about John so much. He's in good hands here."

Jude nodded. "Just like I'm in good hands here," he said, hugging Connor tightly as the rest of the Adams Foster family arrived.

"Oh Jude!" said Lena breathlessly. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Mom," Jude said, hugging her. "John made sure that Connor and I didn't get hurt. I wish he hadn't either."

"He's gonna be fine," Lena said. "You watch; he's tough-as-nails."

Jude chuckled before turning to hug Callie.

"Are you sure you're all right?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Callie. Really. I'm just worried about John."

Callie nodded, hugging Jude again. At that moment, an elderly doctor appeared.

"Are you the Adams Foster family?" he asked Stef.

"Yes, I'm Stef Adams Foster, and this is my wife, Lena," Stef said quickly. "John is our nephew, and we're his guardians."

"I'm Doctor Burton," the doctor said, shaking their hands. "Your nephew has just been released from surgery and is in recovery."

"How is he?" Lena asked.

"The stabbing missed all vital organs, but it did tear up some muscles along the way. However, we were able to stop the bleeding, and get his shoulder healed as much as we could. Right now, he just needs rest and relaxation with that shoulder, and he should be fine."

"Can we see him, please?" asked Stef.

"Sure, but not all of you at once," Dr. Burton said, looking at the extended family. I would say no more than three at a time."

"Moms, can Connor and I see him first?" asked Jude, standing up with Connor.

Stef and Lena exchanged a look before they both turned to him, nodding.

"Of course you can, Love," said Stef quietly. She kissed Jude and Connor on the head before gesturing them to follow Dr. Burton. The boys followed Dr. Burton down a few hallways before they stopped outside John's hospital room, 303.

Dr. Burton turned to them and smiled. "Take as much time as you'd like. But, be gentle. Don't get him too excited or anything."

"Thank you, doctor," Jude said. Dr. Burton nodded and walked to the next room. Jude looked at Connor.

"You OK?" asked Connor.

"I don't know."

Connor nodded, grabbing Jude's hand. "I'm right here with you, OK?" Jude nodded back at him, before turning into John's room.

John was sitting upright in his bed — his right arm was a sling. He turned when he heard Jude and Connor's footsteps. He smiled at them.

"Hey guys," he said quietly. "Thanks for waiting for me."

"We couldn't leave you," Jude said.

"Yeah, after you saved our lives, we wanted to make sure you were OK," added Connor.

John gestured for them to sit on the edge of his bed. "I'll be fine. Doctor said a couple of weeks with this thing on and I should be good to go." As Jude and Connor sat on the bed, he gave each of them an awkward, one-armed hug.

"So, is everyone here?" John asked.

"Yeah, Stef went out to get Brandon and Callie, while Lean grabbed Jesus and Mariana. They're all out in the waiting room."

John smiled. "I'm glad everyone's here. I don't like hospitals much. Wish I didn't have to stay here tonight."

"Well, you'll be out of here by first thing in the morning," said a voice from the doorway. The boys turned to the voice. Standing in the doorway was a man with short dark hair, jet blue eyes, wearing a blue dress shirt and carrying his suit jacket.

"Ah, counselor, good of you to show up and visit," John said with an air of sarcasm.

"You know him?" Jude asked.

"I'm assistant district attorney Alexander Kelbert," the man said, walking into the room. "I'm the prosecuting attorney on the case against Randy Loomis."

"Stef and Lena know you're here?" asked John.

"We met in the waiting room. They didn't seem happy to see me, or let me come and talk to you."

John smirked. "I can't imagine why," he said. "So, to what do I owe this pleasure? Surely you didn't come here just to see me chat with these two."

"I can see you're not to be kept waiting," Kelbert said. "You gonna be up for being dragged into court tomorrow? Loomis is nice and recovered at the prison hospital, so he gets to face a new arraignment tomorrow morning, for escaping and for attacking you earlier tonight."

"What do you need me for, counselor? You've got all the evidence against him for those two charges, what more could I add?"

"Eye candy for the judge. If the judge sees that you're in a cast after what happened last night, they may be willing to put him into solitary confinement until his trial."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning he'll be on constant surveillance, and has no means of escaping so he can hurt you again," said Kelbert, annoyed. "Surely you don't want him to come after you again."

John sighed. "Of course I don't want that. Well, if you insist that my being there can make that happen, then I'll be there."

"Good," Kelbert said, smiling and starting to leave the room. "I'll see you first thing tomorrow morning. Get plenty of rest."

After Kelbert left, Jude turned to John, a look of annoyance on his face. "Why would you leave the hospital after just having surgery? You need the rest!"

"Jude, I'll be fine. It's just for a few hours and then I can go back home and get rest."

Jude sighed and nodded. "I just don't want to lose you."

"Jude —" started Connor, but John held up his arm.

"It's OK," he said quickly. "Jude, listen to me. You're not gonna lose me, all right? I'm gonna stay right here with you and Connor. I'm not going anywhere." He picked up Jude's hand and held it in his own, motioning for Connor to put his hand on top of theirs. When the three were holding hands, John continued. "You feel this?" Jude and Connor nodded. "I'm never letting go. Never. I'll always be here with you. I promise."

* * *

John sat next to Jude and Connor the next morning in the courtroom. The rest of the Adams Foster family sat behind them. They waited as they saw Kelbert take his place at the prosecutor's table and as a court officer escorted Loomis to the defense table. Standing there already was an older man, who shook hands with Loomis and whispered something in his ear before another court officer read off the docket.

"Docket ending, number 25196, The People versus Randall Michael Loomis. One count each of escape in the first degree and assault in the first degree," the officer said, handing the folder containing Loomis' case information to the judge.

"Alexander Kelbert for The People," Kelbert said in a powerful voice.

"William Powell for The Defense," answered the man standing next to Loomis.

"Well, you're back in the system, Mr. Loomis. All for the best, I'm sure," said the judge. "How does your client plead, Mr. Powell?"

"Not Guilty, Your Honor."

"Bail, Mr. Kelbert?"

"Remand, Your Honor. The Defendant escaped prison with the sole purpose of attacking his would-be victim, John Foster, which he did, causing Mr. Foster to require surgery to repair a stabbed shoulder."

"Yet that didn't stop Mr. Foster from showing up in court today," the judge said, nodding at John. "I'm sure you had no trouble convincing him to show up today, Mr. Kelbert."

"I — "

"Save it, counselor, just making a joke. The Defendant is to be remanded until his trial, where these two new charges will be added to his case. Anything else?"

"The People request solitary confinement for the Defendant," Kelbert said quickly.

"Objection, Your Honor, the District Attorney cannot possibly ask for such a thing," said Powell.

"Actually, I can, given the severity of the charges already levied against the Defendant and given the fact that his victim will spend the next few weeks recovering from a knife wound."

"That does mean Prosecution can demand my client be locked up on his own."

"Enough," the judge said, holding up her hand. "I think we'll all sleep a little better knowing Mr. Loomis is placed somewhere where there is some guarantee he will not escape. The Defendant will be placed into solitary confinement, pending his trial. Court is adjourned," he said, banging his gavel.

As the court officer escorted Loomis out of the courtroom, Kelbert packed up his briefcase and walked over to John and his group.

"Nice of you all to show up," he said. "How are you feeling, John?"

"I'll live. What happens now?"

"I'll make the preparations for his trial, which will take place at the same time as originally planned. I'll need to prepare you to testify, as well. Until then, get some rest, let your shoulder heal."

"Thank you, counselor," John said. Kelbert nodded and walked away, leaving the courtroom. John turned to Jude and Connor, hugging them both.

"You OK?" Jude asked.

"I'm fine. Just feeling tired."

"Well, let's get you home and off your feet," Stef said. "You need all the rest you can get, doctor's orders."

John rolled his eyes while he grinned with Jude and Connor before following them out of the courtroom.


	5. Trial

"What happened next, John?" asked Kelbert.

John was sitting on the witness standing, testifying. He was the last witness to speak for the prosecution and seemed a bit nervous to be on the stand.

He took a deep breath before answering.

"Mr. Loomis grabbed me from behind and pulled me into an alleyway at gunpoint," he said in a dry tone. "He forced me onto the ground and undid his pants."

"Was the gun pointed at you the whole time?"

"Yes. He had it trained on my head. After he pulled his pants down, he said, 'I'm gonna have some fun with you, and I knew that he was going to try and rape me."

"Objection!" yelled Powell, standing.

"The Jury will disregard the witness' last statement about what he knew. Proceed, Mr. Kelbert."

"What happened next, John?"

"I screamed as loudly as I could to try and get someone's attention. I heard someone shout back, but I couldn't understand, so I screamed again. Loomis smacked me with his gun, telling me to shut up. He stood over me, flashing his genitals in my face. I was crying and screaming, while Loomis laughed. I tried to fight him off me, but I was overpowered by him. The next thing I know, Loomis is being tackled."

"Did you see the person who tackled The Defendant in the courtroom today?"

"Yes, it was that man," John said, pointing to a man sitting in the audience.

"Let the record reflect that the witness has identified Kevin Reynolds," Kelbert said. "After that, what happened?"

"Loomis was subdued and the police were called. He was arrested, and I was taken to the hospital, where I was treated for some cuts on my arms and legs."

"How badly were you injured?"

"I just had a few cuts and scratches on my arms. Physically, I was fine. Mentally, I was frightened for my life."

"Thank you. Nothing further."

Powell stood up and walked to the witness table.

"That was a very moving story, Mr. Foster. I'm sure you moved us all talking about your ordeal."

"Do you have a question?" John asked, sounding annoyed.

"Only one, did you know my client before you allege he assaulted you?"

"No, I had never seen him in my life."

"Then, why would you say he attempted to have sex with you?"

"I didn't," said John, his face reddening. "He didn't try to have sex with me. He sexually assaulted me."

"So you say. Why would he attempt to do that to you?"

"Objection! The witness is not a mind reader!" called Kelbert.

"I'll allow it, but watch yourself, Mr. Powell."

Powell nodded. "So, Mr. Foster, why would my client attempt to sexually assault you?"

"I have no idea. Have you asked him that?"

Powell grinned at him. "That's privileged information, Mr. Foster. And I ask the questions here, not you."

"Well then ask me a question," John said, seething with anger.

"Nothing further," said Powell, returning to the defense table.

"You may step down, Mr. Foster," the judge said to John.

John got out of the witness chair as Kelbert said, "The People rest, Your Honor."

"We will start Defense questioning tomorrow morning. Court is adjourned."

John walked past the rest of the Adams Foster family and toward the exit of the courtroom. Seeing this, Stef made to go after him.

"I'll get him, Mom," said Jude quietly.

Jude hurried after John and followed him into the bathroom. Inside, John was standing over a sink, breathing heavily. A few seconds later, he burst into tears.

"John…" Jude said calmly. John stopped crying, taking a few deep breaths before turning around. He looked at Jude with tears still flowing down his face. Jude walked toward him slowly, before John fell into his arms sobbing.

"Sssshhhh, it's OK, John, it's OK," Jude said soothingly, holding onto John tightly. "You got through it. You stood up to him. You're gonna be all right."

* * *

Several days later, John sat in the courtroom's audience next to the Adams Foster family. Connor was with them, and sat next to Jude, holding onto his hand. When Powell called Loomis to the stand, John looked at Jude, who nodded reassuringly and put his free hand on John's wrist.

John listened with uneasiness as Loomis described how he was drunk on the night he attacked him. When Powell finished questioning Loomis, Kelbert quickly stood up.

"So, you claim you were drunk on the night you assaulted Mr. Foster, is that right?" he asked as he walked to the witness stand.

"Yes it is," said Loomis cheerfully. "None of this would've happened if I hadn't been drinking."

"Uh huh, yet the police took your blood alcohol level and found almost no trace of alcohol in your bloodstream, can you explain that?"

"Maybe the police got a false negative."

"Or maybe you weren't drunk," Kelbert said before quickly asking his next question to avoid an objection from Powell. "Now, can you explain why, if you were drunk, you would attempt to engage in sex with a 16-year-old?"

"I wasn't thinking clearly. I regret what I did."

"You weren't thinking clearly?" Kelbert asked with a hint of sarcasm. "Were you thinking clearly when you broke out of jail, Mr. Loomis?"

"I — "

"And were you thinking clearly when you tracked down Mr. Foster to his aunt's home and when you traveled there to attack him in revenge?"

"I don't —"

"And were you thinking clearly when you brought that knife down onto Mr. Foster's shoulder, stabbing him with it?"

"Objection, Your Honor, he's badgering my client!"

"Overruled," the judge said dryly. "Mr. Kelbert, go easier on your questioning, please. And Mr. Loomis, you may answer the question about your state of mind at these moments."

Loomis remained silent, glaring at Kelbert. Jude tightened his grip on John's arm, trying to keep him calm.

After a few moments, Kelbert backed away from the witness stand. "I guess we can see you were thinking clearly when you did all those things, Mr. Loomis. Withdrawn," he added, sensing Powell's objection.

"Just one more question, Mr. Loomis: Did Mr. Foster scream when you tried to attack him and did you threaten him?"

"I might have threatened him,"

"He might also have scratched you, Mr. Loomis, can you explain the scratch marks the police found on you?"

"He wanted it rough," Loomis said. "It was his game."

"The police also found scratches on Mr. Foster, which he testified to. Can you explain those?"

"Like I said, it was his game to be rough."

"Are you sure he didn't get those injuries trying to fight you off?" Kelbert asked. "One more thing, Mr. Loomis: Were you aware that it is illegal for someone older than 18 to engage in sex with Mr. Foster, or did that fact slip your mind?"

"Objection!" yelled Powell.

"Withdrawn, nothing further."


	6. Verdict

A knock came at the door. John got up from his seat in the living room and walked to the front door, opening it. Connor stood in the doorway and grinned at him.

"Hey, Connor, everyone's just about ready to go, come on in," he said, motioning for Connor to step inside. Once Connor was inside, he shut the door and followed him into the living room, where they sat down on the couch.

"How are you doing?" Connor asked quietly.

"I'm okay," replied John. "A little nervous, you know?"

Connor nodded. "It's a scary thing, what you've done. I want you to know how proud of you Jude and I are. You've been so brave, John."

"I don't feel that brave. I feel so nervous and jumpy and scared all the time. It's like I'm losing my mind sometimes."

"That's okay, John. Everyone who has something like this happen to them goes through hard times. You've done your best. And you confronted him. That's all that really matters."

"Thank you, Connor," John said. "I don't know how I would've gotten through all of this without you and Jude. And everyone else, too, but especially you two. I'm so grateful for you."

John leaned forward and hugged Connor, who patted him on the back.

"You're a good person, John. Don't ever forget that."

"I won't," John whispered. They broke apart and Connor smiled at him.

"Hey guys," Jude said, walking into the living room. "Everybody else is ready to go and they're getting in the cars." He gave Connor a quick kiss on the cheek as a greeting. "You okay, John? It's gonna be tough today, no matter what."

John nodded at him and pulled Jude into a hug. "As long you guys are there, I'll be okay."

John sat next to Jude and Connor, who were holding hands, in the courtroom. Jude held onto one of John's hands, too. Stef and Lena sat on his other side and looked at him with concern when Kelbert took his place at the prosecutor's table.

"You sure you're okay, John?" asked Lena in her motherly voice.

"I'm fine, just nervous."

"Well, you know that no matter what happens, you can stay with us as long as you like, right?"

John smiled and nodded. "I'd like that," he said as Loomis was escorted into the courtroom. The two glanced at each other momentarily, Loomis grinning, John glaring.

Once Loomis and his attorney had taken their place, the court officer called the room to order, and the judge took her spot at the bench. The jury then filed into the room and the judge turned to them.

"Mr. Foreman, has the Jury reached its verdict?"

"We have, Your Honor," said the Foreman, standing.

"The Defendant will rise," the judge said. Loomis and Powers stood up.

"What is your verdict?"

"On the charge of sexual assault in the first degree, we find the Defendant Guilty," the Foreman said.

"On the second charge?"

"On the charge of attempted murder in the first degree, we find the Defendant Guilty."

"And the third?"

"On the charge of escape in the first degree, we find the Defendant Guilty."

"And on the fourth and final count, how say you?"

"On the second count of attempted murder in the first degree, we find the Defendant…" the Foreman said, looking at Loomis, who glared back at him. "Guilty."

John let out a sign of relief, and Stef and Lena patted him on the back, and Jude squeezed his hand in reassurance.

"The State of California thanks the Jury for its services," the judge said. "You are excused from these proceedings. The Defendant will remain on remand pending his sentencing. We're adjourned," she finished, pounding her gavel and exiting the bench.

John was hugging Jude and Connor as he saw the court officer put handcuffs back on Loomis. He and Loomis looked at each other again. John stared down Loomis with a blank expression, while Loomis smiled at him. Once Loomis was taken away, John made to exit the row they were sitting in.

"Everything okay, love?" Stef asked.

"Yeah, I just need a minute alone," John said. Stef and Lena nodded at him before he turned and exited the courtroom.

John walked until he found an empty stairwell. He walked down some of the stairs before he plopped down on the ground. He took several deep breaths, attempting to calm himself down. He knew everything was fine — Loomis had been found guilty of everything and could never hurt him again.

A few seconds later, he started crying, burying his face in his hands and rocking back and forth slowly. He couldn't help himself. He stayed that way for a few moments before he heard the door open and footsteps come down the stairs. He didn't have to look up to see who had followed him.

"Hey," Jude said. "Everything's okay now." He put an arm around John. "He's going to jail for a really long time. You'll be safe now."

John nodded, wiping tears from his face. "I know, I know," he said in a shaky voice. "Thank you for everything, Jude," he added, before falling into Jude's embrace. Jude held him tightly, whispering that it would be all right. A few minutes later, another set of footsteps came down the stairs. Connor sat next to them and hugged John, too. The three boys sat there together in silence for several minutes, with Jude and Connor silently reassuring John that he would be okay now.


	7. Return

_Six months later_

John thanked the coffee vendor for the drinks he had ordered with Jude and Connor. He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and pulled it out. An unknown number was attempting to FaceTime with him. He ignored the call and put his phone back in his pocket.

"Who was that?" Connor asked.

"No idea, probably a wrong number," replied John, taking a sip of his coffee. He felt his phone vibrating again. He pulled his phone out again and clicked the green accept button.

While the video was loading, he looked at his screen with an annoyed expression on his face. "Look, whoever this is, you have the wrong number."

The video finished loading and Jude watched as John's expression lit up in fear.

"John, what is it?"

"Hello, Johnnie boy!" came a familiar voice on the other end of the video call. Jude and Connor hurried to John's side. John had a look of shock etched onto his face, seeing his attacker on video talking to him.

"Morning, Johnnie boy! I missed you," Loomis said with his evil grin on his face. He cut the video off, leaving John staring at his phone in utter shock.

* * *

"OK, everybody listen up, here's what we have so far," called Stef to her squad. John, Jude and Connor had run as fast as they could to the station and told her about Loomis' video call to John. She called for the squad to come together, as she was acting as commanding officer while her supervisor was on leave. She and her team had done some investigating and had learned Loomis had escaped prison.

"At approximately 10:45 last night, Randy Loomis, complaining of chest pains, was transferred from his cell to the hospital ward in prison, where all attempts to resuscitate him failed," Stef explained.

"Ten minutes after being declared dead by the doctors, he suddenly came back to life and was held overnight for observation," added Mike. "At some point, Loomis convinced the DOC officer to uncuff him."

John closed his eyes in shock. Jude and Connor tightened their grips on him.

"He then snapped the officer's neck," Mike continued. "Loomis was discovered missing at 8:45 this morning."

"How did he get out of that ward?" asked an officer.

"Still don't know," replied Stef. She clicked on the computer screen behind them all. "This woman was found nearly stabbed to death, and still hasn't woken up. Her car keys, purse, wallet are all missing. We sent an APB out on her car."

"Which is a white suburban, California plate, N-S," Mike started.

"Don't even bother," interjected another officer. "He'll ditch it before he tries to escape."

"He may not be leaving the area," Stef said.

"Why would you say that?"

Stef glanced at John. "Because he called me this morning from the nurse's cellphone," John said. "He said that he misses me."

At that moment, an officer jumped up from his desk.

"Stef, we got a call! It's Loomis. He's calling on a landline. He'll only talk to John."

John stood up and followed the officer.

"Track the phone," Stef said to another officer.

John stopped in front of the phone and stared at it.

"Go ahead, Love," Stef said.

John held up his hand. "No, you gotta make him wait. You make him wait, he gets angry and if he gets angry, he'll slip up." He waited a few seconds before he answered the phone on speaker.

"Loomis…" John started.

"Speaker phone, Johnnie boy?" Loomis said in an angry tone. "You know better than that. Take me off now."

John quickly picked the phone up, ending the speaker conversation. He sat down at the officer's desk.

"It's just us," he said calmly. "Loomis, you want me, you know you do, don't hurt anyone else."

"I don't think so. I think I'm gonna find someone and have some fun. I like that."

"Loomis, listen to me: Just tell me where you are and I will come and meet you. Whatever you want."

"You know what I want, I want you, Johnnie boy."

"OK…" John said, but he heard the dial tone go dead. "He's gone," he said to Stef.

"You did great, Love," Stef said.

"He's calling from somewhere about 12 miles east," Mike said.

"We'll track him and see if we get him, move fast, people!" Stef called out to the rest of the squad. She turned to the John, Jude and Connor.

"I'm going to take you two to Connor's house," Stef said. "Then, I'll take the rest of the family and move them somewhere. Maybe we can find a hotel and stay there for a few days."

"Stef, you guys don't have to do that for me," John said. "He's gonna try and find me no matter what."

"That's why Lena and I are gonna spread us all out," said Stef. "He'll have a harder time trying to find you if we all split up."

"I don't like this. I don't want anyone to feel like that have to do this for me."

Jude put a hand on John's shoulder. "Remember when I said we were all family and we would do anything we could for you? This is one of those things we're doing for you. You've got to stay safe, John. OK? Loomis might try to come and get you, but he won't be able to hurt you if you're with the family."

"And he'll meet about half of southern California's police department," Mike said, having walked up to them. "There's an alert out to arrest him on-sight, and the FBI and State Patrol are being dispatched to look for him."

"Uh, Mike, would you mind if I stayed at your place?" asked John. "You know, until this blows over."

"John, you'll be all alone there," Stef said.

"Yeah, but do you really think he's gonna go for my aunt's ex-husband's house first? Isn't that the last place he'd think to look?"

"He's got a point, Stef. I can take him back to my place and he can stay there with a patrolmen out front."

Stef nodded at him. "OK. Take him by our place to grab some things, and we'll get everybody moved. This will only be until Loomis is caught again, John."

"If he is caught again."

"He will be," said Mike. "It's only a matter of time before he runs into one of the officers. Even if he tries to play things smart, he'll have a hard time avoiding police with half of the state looking for him."

Finally, John nodded. "All right. I don't like any of this, but if it keeps you all safe, then we should do it now." He walked over to Jude and Connor and pulled both of them into a bear hug. "You two be careful," he said quietly.

"You, too," whispered Jude.

"Everything will be OK," added Connor.

John nodded and pulled out of the hug. He then turned to Stef and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you for everything, Stef," he whispered in her ear.

"It's no problem, John," Stef said. "I know all of this is hard, but it's going to keep us all safe until he's caught again. Everything will be fine."


	8. Capture

John woke with a start. He had been napping on the couch in Mike's living room. His cell phone was ringing; an unknown number was calling. John sighed, knowing it was probably Loomis calling to taunt him.

"Hello?" he said sleepily.

"Hello?" his voice replied.

John sat up, his attention grabbed.

"Who is this?"

"Who is this?" replied John's voice.

"Um…who-who's calling?"

"Um…who-who's calling?"

"Jude, Connor, Stef, whoever, call me back, I can only hear myself — "

John heard a button click on the other end. A voice changer.

"I only hear you, too, John," came Loomis in an angry tone.

"What do you want, Loomis?"

"You know what I want, Johnnie boy. And I have the perfect way of getting it."

"You do know that half of the state's police force is looking for you, don't you, Loomis?"

Loomis chuckled. "That didn't stop me from grabbing your friends," he said tauntingly.

Suddenly, John heard Jude's voice on the line. "John! Stay away! Don't come here!"

"John!" yelled Connor.

John leapt up from the bed, hurrying to grab Mike's house phone and call Stef.

"Don't do it! If you do one thing to attract attention to yourself one _thing_, I'll kill them both!" John stopped dead in his tracks. Loomis laughed. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Oh, it's hard being friends with you, Johnnie boy. When you're friends with John, you die! Well, these friends don't have to, John. It's up to you."

"How do I know their voices — "

"Are real? How do you know you're not hearing things? How do you know I'm not faking this whole thing just to get at you? Somewhere, you know.

"Don't come here, John!" Jude screamed.

"Shut up!" Loomis shouted. John heard what sounded like Loomis hitting Jude, who grunted. He winced.

"Jude!" Connor yelled in the background.

"You're dead," John whispered into the phone.

"I don't want them, I want you. It's simple: you show yourself, they survive, you run, they die!"

John heard Jude get hit again. Jude screamed in pain. John winced again, tears starting to form in his eyes.

"Oh god, oh god!" Connor cried.

"Don't you want to save them, Johnnie boy? Don't you want them to live?"

"Where?" John whispered.

"We can have a hell of a time when you get here."

"WHERE!" John screamed.

"I'll call you when you're on your way."

Loomis hung up. John listened to the dial tone for a few seconds, tears streaming down his face, before he lowered his phone.

"Shit," he muttered. "Shit, shit!"

He paced around the living room for a few seconds before he made for the front door. Just as he opened it, he hesitated. He walked into the kitchen and started opening drawers. In the fourth drawer, he found Mike's backup gun and checked to make sure it was loaded and that the safety was on. He took the gun in its holster and strapped it to his leg. He then ran to the front door and hurried out, pulling his phone out as he ran outside.

"Stef!" John shouted when Stef had finally answered her phone. "I need you and Mike to meet me at Connor's house. Loomis just called and said he has Jude and Connor!"

"How can he — " Stef started.

"MOVE!" John yelled. "We have to go and check Connor's house to see if it's true, and then I'm going to put an end to this."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, John exited the patrol car that had given him a ride from Mike's house to Connor's. Stef and Michael had just arrived and parked. They quickly got out of their patrol car, their weapons drawn.

"Are you sure he has them?" Stef asked, the anger flashing in her eyes.

"I heard them in the background," John said.

Stef nodded, motioning for Mike and John to follow her. They checked the front door and found it unlocked.

"Stay here, John," Stef said. "I don't want you getting hurt."

John didn't argue. Stef and Mike cautiously entered the house, their weapons pointed in front of them. After about two minutes, John heard Stef shout, "John! Come in! The kitchen!"

John ran inside, looking around for the kitchen. He found it and ran toward it. Lying on the ground, looking slightly injured was Connor's dad. Stef and Mike were standing over him, both of them radioing for back up. John bent down next to Adam.

"Adam, are you OK?" he whispered.

"I'll be fine."

"Was it Loomis?" Adam nodded. "Did he take them?" Adam hesitated, seeing the fear in John's eyes. "Please, tell me. I have to know." Adam nodded.

John sighed. "Son of a bitch," he muttered.


	9. Fight

John walked up to the side of the house. Loomis had instructed him to enter a side door on the east side of the house. Stef and Mike were sitting in their patrol car at the end of the street; they had set up John with a wire that would pick up all communication between John and Loomis.

As he walked up to the door he was instructed to enter, his phone rang again.

"What?" he said angrily, knowing it was Loomis.

"You follow directions well, Johnnie boy," Loomis said tauntingly. "Welcome to the party."

"You promised me you would give them up, you had better stick to your word."

"Not so fast. Where are your cop friends?"

"I told them to stay away. It's just us, Loomis."

Loomis chuckled. "Smart move, John. Now, come inside."

"No way. How do I know they're not already dead?"

"They're right inside waiting for you. Have a look."

John leaned to his right, peeking into the door. He saw Jude with his head bent down. He rushed inside the door, which was already open and approached Jude and Connor, who were bound by ropes to two chairs that were tied together. Their mouths were taped shut.

"Now that we're all here, the party can begin," said Loomis. John sneered and hung up his phone.

"Jude…" he said, bending down next to him. Jude looked up at him, relief shining in his eyes. John tore the duct tape off his mouth, causing Jude to wince.

"John!" Jude said breathlessly.

"Where is he?" John demanded as he started to cut the ropes with his pocketknife.

"I don't know."

A few seconds passed with John attempting to cut the rope. Suddenly, Jude screamed out.

"He's right there!" He shouted. John turned around and saw Loomis standing in the doorway, already coming toward them. John stood to block him, but was punched in the face by Loomis. John grunted as he fell to the ground. Loomis glared at the three of them, his eyes wide with excitement. He brandished his hunter's knife, ready for the kill.

John lifted one of his leg sleeves, revealing the holster with Mike's backup weapon. He drew the gun and pointed it at Loomis.

"Think again!" he yelled. Loomis hesitated, his expression changing from glee to fear. John stood up. "It's your turn to scream, asshole!" he said before he fired five shots into Loomis' chest.

"Yeah!" Jude cheered.

John put the gun away and turned around to help Connor. He tore the tape from Connor's mouth.

"Hi," Connor said breathlessly.

"Are you OK?" asked John, as he started to fidget with the rope.

"Yeah…" Suddenly, Connor's eyes opened wide in shock. "John…" he said. John looked up at him, and saw Connor's eyes. He whipped around and saw that Loomis was gone. He picked up the gun, pointed in front of him and inched to where Loomis' body fell. When he reached the doorway Loomis hit him from the side. John lost his footing and fell, firing the last bullet in the gun, which hit a vase and shattered it.

"Nice try, Johnnie boy," Loomis said, lifting his shirt up to reveal a bullet proof vest with five bullet holes in it. "I always like to think ahead."

Suddenly, Mike appeared and tackled Loomis away from John. He and Loomis struggled for a few moments, while John went to free Jude and Connor. Once the ropes were undone, John helped them to their feet. Suddenly, Mike was thrown over them into the living room. Loomis cackled as John realized they were alone.

But, he didn't attack them. He walked over to Mike and examined his unconscious body. John, sensing a weakness in Loomis, grabbed the hunter's knife and ran up to Loomis.

"Hey…" he said. Loomis looked up. "Lose something?" he added, brandishing the knife.

"Found something," Loomis replied, grinning. He revealed Mike's gun in his hand. John gasped in shock as Loomis fired the first shot. John screamed and fell backward. Loomis walked over to him as he lay on the ground fidgeting. He then fired another shot into John's chest; John flinched from the bullet's impact and stopped moving.

"JOHN!" Jude screamed. "NO!"

Loomis turned around and looked at them smiling. "Looks like your friend won't be able to help you anymore," he said, slowly walking toward them. Jude and Connor held each other, refusing to be separated.

As Loomis laughed and raised the gun to shoot them, there was a sudden scream from behind him. John was stabbing him in the back of his shoulder with the hunter's knife. Loomis yelped out in pain and fell to the ground. John leaned over him, pushing away the gun.

"I shot you," he said angrily.

John grinned at him and lifted his shirt. He, too, was wearing a bulletproof vest. "I guess we think alike," he said quietly.

Stef ran into the room, her gun drawn. She saw Jude and Connor first and hugged them before running over to check on Mike and then running next to John.

Loomis was laughing. "I still managed to get at you, Johnnie boy. And I still got to play my game."

"But you lost, right?" John said, before raising the knife and stabbing Loomis in the heart. Loomis shrieked and started hyperventilating. He and John locked eyes for a few moments before Loomis shut his and he stopped moving.

John stood up and hugged Stef. They started walking to Jude and Connor.

"Are you all right?" Stef asked.

"I'll be fine," John said. "He wasn't superhuman, like he made it sound. He wasn't superhuman at all."

Suddenly, there was an animal-like cry from behind them. They turned around and saw Loomis running toward them, the knife in his hand.

Stef started shooting at him in the chest, to no avail. Suddenly, John remembered the bulletproof vest, explaining why the knife wound didn't kill Loomis.

"You won't be able to kill me!" Loomis shouted as Stef kept firing.

"Head, head Stef!" John shouted.

"What?"

"Head! Shoot him in the head!"

Stef aimed the gun at Loomis' head and fired the final shot. Loomis' body was thrown backward by the impact of the bullet, and it fell to the ground, blood leaking from his forehead. He was dead.

"Thanks," Stef said breathlessly.

"No problem," replied John, turning to Jude and Connor. He pulled them both into a hug, tighter than any he had ever given them.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you two," he whispered.

"No, John, don't blame yourself," Connor replied.

"It was only a matter of time before he got any of us," added Jude. "The important thing is, you got to us before he could hurt us."

John nodded, still holding them both. "I'm just glad he's gone."


	10. Safe

John walked into the hospital room and toward the beds that were pushed together side by side. Jude and Connor lay in them. They had both been treated for their minor injuries and for shock. John sat down on Jude's bed.

"How you guys doing?" he asked.

"We're good," said Jude.

"How's my dad?" asked Connor.

"He'll be fine. The doctor said none of his injuries were life threatening. He's resting now."

Connor nodded.

"Thanks for taking care of him. And us," he said.

"You guys don't have to thank me," John said. "I was protecting two of the most important people in my life. I would've done anything to make sure the two of you didn't get hurt."

"Are you OK?" Jude asked.

John took one of Jude's hands in his own. "I will be now," he said. "Now that Loomis is gone, I don't have to live in fear anymore." He motioned for Connor to grab onto his and Jude's hands. When all three of them were holding hands, John said, "I'm letting go of you two. I promise. As long as I live, I will fight to protect you, my brothers."

John slept in the room with Jude and Connor that night. Jude had scooted closer to Connor to let John sleep on one side of his bed. Around 1 a.m., Jude and Connor woke to John tossing and turning in his sleep. He was sweating profusely — it was clear he was having a nightmare.

"No! Don't do it! Please!" he murmured, getting louder with each word he spoke. Jude shifted closer to him, gently placing one of his hands on John's arm. John woke with a start. He turned and looked at Jude, a few tears streaming down his face.

"Another nightmare?" Jude asked softly.

John nodded. "I don't know why I'm having one about him now. He's dead."

Jude grabbed his hand again. "It's OK to still be worried, John. You spent a long time fighting him, and trying to stay safe. It'll take some time."

"But we'll be here for you all the way," Connor added.

Jude nodded again. "We're not going anywhere, John. We'll stay with you and be with you whenever you need us to."

John nodded and sighed. "I'm so lucky to have both of you," he said, lying back down on the pillow. "Thank you."

As John fell asleep, Jude kept a hold of his hand. Connor held onto his other hand as all three of them drifted asleep, never letting go.


End file.
